Hue “opened the can” on Reece, says Palmer better than ever

Former Raiders coach Hue Jackson, now an assistant defensive backs and assistant special teams coach with the Bengals, met with the Cincinnati media today. Here are some things he touched on, a few days before facing his old team from a year ago:

^ On Carson Palmer:

“He’s playing great. I think they have a really good player. I said that when he came to Oakland, and I still feel that way now. Carson’s a really good football player. There’s not a throw he can’t make.”

^ Giving the Bengals inside stuff on the Raiders:

“I am, but it’s not about that. We have great coordinators here. I maybe can shed some light on a thing or two here or there, but at the end of the day it’s going to be two really good football teams out there playing and they’re going to do everything they can to win and we’re going to do everything we can to win. It comes down to who wants it the most and blocking and tackling and catching and running and all those things you do during football games.”

^ The Raiders being a pass-first team now:

“Honestly I don’t want to comment because I’m not there. I don’t know exactly what’s going on. I know they have some very good players, I know the quarterback is playing extremely well. They’re rallying around him. Carson’s there to throw the ball because he knows how to throw the ball, and they have some weapons there. I’m not surprised. That’s a really good football team. They have some talent there and they’re throwing it all over the yard.”

^ On fullback Marcel Reece:

“He’s tremendous. I’ve said that. I think he’s a defensive matchup nightmare because he can do so many things well. The guy can run with the ball — obviously he proved that last week — he can catch it and run with it and he can block. He’s a talented, three-dimensional football player and he’s just blossoming now. I just kind of opened the can, and now they’re taking it to a whole other level. So they’re doing a good job with him.”

^ On this week’s game being special:

“Honestly, it’s really another football game. For me, it is. it has to be. You can’t get caught up in the emotional part of it because that’s not what this is about. This is about winning and losing. There’s a team that’s really hungry, very talented. They have some big-time players that are going to try to come here and win a game. And we’re finding ourselves and we have to do everything we can to win a football game.”

^ On coaching on the defensive side this year:

“It’s been great. Not very often do you get that opportunity. To be on the other side of the ball for 10 years, you get to look at it from a different viewpoint. I think everybody should have that opportunity to do that. Maybe not in the circumstances I’ve had to do it, but I think it’s good to learn. To me, that’s something I now can add to myself as a coach. I’ve really enjoyed coaching and being over there on defense and working with the defensive backs and helping on special teams. It’s really broadened my thought process as a football coach, so it’s really been great.”

^ More on Palmer:

“He can spin the ball like nobody can. He can throw a football and throw it well. I know the criticism of turnovers and the things that people say, but no one knows. I mean I don’t know if the receivers weren’t in the right spot or protections. I mean a lot of things go into interceptions that I don’t think people truly understand. But at the end of the day this is a really good football player. …

There’s other people that can throw it, but trust me, there’s not many than spin it like he can. He can really spin a football.

^ Is Palmer the same guy he was in 2005, his best season:

“I think he’s probably better, because he’s more mature. He probably understands the league a lot more. You’re not going to fool him with too many things. He’s probably seen it all and done it all. Again, he’s playing like everybody knows he can play. I know there’s a lot of yards there, and people will dispute that for whatever their reasons are, but when I watch him on tape, I see a really good football player.”

^ Is Palmer all the way back after knee and elbow injuries:

“He’s beyond that. He was beyond that a year ago. The guys’ tough, he a competitor, he takes care of his body, he loves the game, he works at it. Again, at the end of the day, he’s one of the guys in this league that you would like to have him because you know what he brings. He’s going to work every day and give you an honest day’s work.”

^ On being back together with Marvin Lewis:

“Me and Marvin go back a long way … I can talk to him and say things that maybe I wouldn’t say to anyone else. … So that part’s been really fun. And that’s what’s helped me grow. I’m probably a much better football coach than I was a year ago, and probably will be as I continue to go through this process.”

^ On getting a coordinator or head coach job next year — and being mentioned for the Cal opening:

“Whatever the next step is in my life is going to unfold. I try not to worry about any of that right now. What I’m trying to do is we’re worried about the Oakland Raiders, and that’s where I am right now. Try to take it just one step at a time. Whatever the future holds, it holds. I can’t worry about it at this point.”

^ On college job being intriguing:

“At this time what’s intriguing is beating the Oakland Raiders. That’s the only thing I can think about at this point.”